EHU July 2023

Another round of graduation ceremonies completed at Edge Hill University for us this year, making this our 15th year performing for the University. Our role has changed over the years; initially we played as 4 trumpets with organ accompaniment, and only performed within each ceremony, not before or afterwards for the congregation.

Now our role has expanded so that we play incidental pop arrangements for the congregation and graduands before the ceremony begins, then processional and recessional fanfares which we wrote for EHU and without organ accompaniment. There is an art to timing the music so that it ends in the perfect place regardless of all the other moving parts, such as different numbers of people in the academic platform party, different walking speeds etc. Finally we play for the new graduates as they process out of the theatre with a cleverly written composition transitioning to an arrangement or two suitable for the mood of the occasion.

Many thanks to Dave Hopkin who joined us on trumpet for the week!

And many thanks to Edge Hill University for having us – it’s been a pleasure as always and we look forward to seeing you again next year with some more new arrangements to entertain you all!